Tubular lantern



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

- I. N. BUCK.

TUBULAR LANTERN.

No. 359,708. Patented Mar. 22, 1887.

2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

I. N BUCK.

TUBULAR LANTERN.

No. 359,708. Patented M21122, 1887.

N PETERS. Phololllhngraphm'. Washingion. 0.6.

lUNiTEn drains ISAAC N. BUCK, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

TUBULAR LANTERN.

SPBCIPICATZfON forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,708, dated March22, 1887.

Application filed (:ciobcrJ, 1880. Serial No. 25277. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Isaac N. Boon, of Elgin, in the county of Kane andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLanterns; and I do hereby declare that the following specification,takenin connection with the drawings furnished and forming a part of thesame, is a clear, true, and complete description of the several featuresof my invention.

My said improvements are specially appli cable to what are known astubular-frame lanterns, and my main objects are to secure durability ofthe movable parts and to simplify construction, with correspondingeconomy in manufacture, and also to provide for special convenience inthe adjustment and control of the globe for lighting and trimmin Afterdescribing the constructions ill ustrated in the drawings, the featuresdeemed novel will be specified in the several clauses of the claimhereunto annexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of one of mylanterns in a desirable form as adjusted for use. Fig. 2 is a similarview with the globe and its base-plate raised and held as for lightingor trimming. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same with the globe cap orhood raised, and with the globe tilted as for its removal. Fig. 4 is alateral vertical section of the globe cap or hood and the centralpendent portion of the tubular frame. Fig. 5 is a view of the globebase-plate detached from its guiding-posts. Fi 6 illustratesthespringcatch detached from the lantern. Fig. 7 in two views illustratesone of the guiding-posts and its foot-plate detached from the lantern.Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the globecap and the central pendenttubular portion of the frame unobstructed by the spring. Fig. 9illustrates the metal blank from which my globehood necl; is formed.Fig. 10 illustrates the lower portion of my lantern with itsguidingposts constructed and arranged to operate also as s'ning-catches.

The lampbase A and tubular frame B are asherotoforc, with the exceptionthat the vertical side tubes, (0, are not disfigured by the pres ence ofguides, whether soldered thereon or loosely embracing them, and thelateral'top tube, b, is free from any applied attachments,

except such as are requisite for properly securing thereto the usualbailhandlc, c. The lateral tubes (Z, at the base of the frame, have eachthereon a vertical guiding-post, e, preferably composed of hard stiffwire. For propcrl'y securing these posts, I prefer to provide each postwith a head, c, at its foot, and with a footplate, o having a holeformed by punclr ing and drawing the metal centrally into a tubularform, as illustrated in Fig. 7, so that on passing the top of a postthrough said hole the head 9 will snugly occupy a seat in the under sideof the foot-plate and enable a perfoot union of the post and plate bythe use of but little solder, none of which need be eX- posed. Thefoot-plate being struck up to form, so as to be accurately seated on aframe-tube, (Z, is then neatly soldered to the tube, thus affording athoroughly reliable union of these posts and frame at little cost, andwithout impairing the desirably neat appearance of the frame. In cheaperforms of lantern each post c may be inserted ina hole in the piece ofmetal of which the part (1 of the lantern-frame is made, and securelysoldered therein prior to or after the bending of the metal into tubularform, or the post may be directly soldered upon the top of the tube.

The central pendent tubular portiomj', of the frame at its top is asheretofore, with perhaps the exception of a few minor featuresincidentto the use of the interior spiral spring, 9, which has a suitableabutment at its upper end within the tube. It is not essential that thespring 5/ be located within the frame-tube f,- but when it is so locatedthe tube is vertically slotted at opposite sides for the reception of across-wire, or in lieu thereof two short wires, h, on the hood orglobe-cap G, or on its neck 1?, so that said spring at its lower end maybear upon said wires, and through them force the globe-cap downward uponthe top of the globe 1). Any of the wellknown forms of spring or wirecollar may be employed as a globe-collar, K, on the under side of theglobecap; but the simple well-known form shown is found to be fullyreliable.

The tubular neck '5 on the globe hood or cap is novel, in that it isprovided with integral finger-pieces i, thus obviating the usecof suchseparate wires or strips as haveheretofore been soldered to the neck orthe hood, or to both. As indicated in Fig. 9, I provide a blank of sheetmetal, which, when bent into tubular form, affords material. for theintegral fingerpieces 'i, which are in turn developed by bendingportions of the metal outward and downward, as clearly shown. I preferto have two finger-pieces; but one can be thus provided for Withoutdeparture from this portion of my invention, by means of which aspecially neat and finished appearance is secured and a strong anddurable caplifting device afforded at low cost.

The globe base-plate E may or may not integrally include the usualperforated plate, Z, but it should afford an annular seat for the globe,and have the guiding-eyes'm, one on each side, and each adapted toloosely embrace a guiding-post, e.

At one side of one of the posts there is a spring-catch, a, secured tothe tubular frame at its foot and extending upward, so that its upperend bears firmly against the post at the height to which the base-plateshould be lifted for lighting or trimming, and the top of the spring isbent so that it partially embraces the post laterally; but it isprovided with inclined edges, sot-hat the base-plate eye when movedupwardly will laterally displace the top of the spring and allow thelatter to then spring back beneath the eye and operate as asupportingcatch for the base-plate in maintaining it in its elevatedposition. The opposite post may have a similar catch; but I find thatone can be safely relied upon. For lowering the globe and base-plate,the spring-catch is pressed outwardly from its supporting-contact withthe ear m.

WVhile I prefer the catch as shown, I do not restrict myself to aseparately constructed catch, because good results will accrue if it bedispensed with as a separate or distinct element,provided the posts 2 bemade to per-. form the double function of guides and springcatches, asillustrated in Fig. 10. I have stated that said posts should be composedof hard stiff wire,and if the metal be properly selected as toresiliency the posts will also serve as springs, so that when they areprovided with the catch-seats c, and slightly inclined outwardly attheir upper ends, they will be forced slightly toward the globe by thecars at of the base-plate when the latter is lifted, and when said earsoccupy said catchseats the posts will promptly spring outwardly, andthus firmly maintain the globe and plate in their elevated position. Forlowering the globe and base-plate, the two posts would be pressed towardeach other. It is not essential that both posts serve as springs, itbeing obvious that one can be relied upon for good service.

The partial obstruction of the interior of the pendent tubular portion fof the frame by the hoodspring andcross-wires is'by .some people deemedobjectionable; and hence I sometimes arrange the spring as shown in Fig.8, wherein the tubular port-ionf is shown to be provided with anexterior projecting seat, f, for the upper end. of thespring g, which inthis instance loosely surrounds the pendent frametube. The hood orglobe-cap O has a central hole, which is quite fully occupied by theframe-tubef, so that the upper annular surface of said hood next tothetube can. serve as a seat for the lower end of the spring. The tubularneck '5 is sufficiently larger than the frame-tube f to afford anannular space ample for the free reception of the spring. In assemblingthese parts, the spring is first placed on the frame-tube, the hood andits neck then applied, and the spring tempo rarily compressed, and thenthe lower end of the frame-tube is abruptly expanded, so as to securelylock the three .parts together. In order that this expansion of theframe-tube should be restricted to the lower end thereof, it isadvisable that the metal be longitudinally slotted at intervals aroundthe edge, to enable the mptal to be abruptly bent outwardly, thusaffording a good bearing for the coincident surface of the under side ofthe hood.

\Vit-h the globe-hood coupled to the frame, as last described, it willbe seen that,the main frame having been constructed, the globe hood canbe attached Without soldering, and. the base-plate also readily applied,thus re ducing the cost of assembling to a minimum. It-will also be seenthat the lantern is strong and durable and contains no superfluousmetal, and that it can be cheaply constructed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a tubular-frame lantern, the combination, withthe tubular frame and a globe hood or cap forced downwardly by a spring,of a base-plate for a globe disconnected from said hood, but forced intoand held in its normal position by the hood-spring acting upon an in:tervening globe, vertical posts projecting upwardly from horizontallower portions of the tubular frame, guideeyes on the baseplate forloosely embracing said posts, and a springcatch for maintaining saidplate. in an elevated position onsaid posts, substantially as described.

2. In a tubularfrarne lantern, the combina tion, with the centralpendent tubular portion of the frame and a spring, of a globe hood or

